Magnitude 7.4 earthquake hits Indonesia, killing one
Astudestra Ajengrastri,Jakarta,
Abd Rahman Muchtar,ManadoAnd
Kelly Ng
A magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck the Molucca Sea off the Indonesian island of Ternate on Thursday morning, killing at least one person.
The quake, which struck at 6:48 a.m. local time (10:48 p.m. GMT) at a depth of 35 kilometers, triggered tsunami warnings that have since been withdrawn.
A 70-year-old woman in North Sulawesi died after being crushed by construction debris, and another person suffered a broken leg after jumping from a building, Indonesia’s national news agency Antara reported.
With the region experiencing high levels of seismic activity, some residents told the BBC it was one of the strongest earthquakes they had felt in at least the last six years.
The Hawaii-based Pacific Tsunami Warning Center initially warned that tsunami waves of less than 0.3 m “were possible” along the coasts of Guam, Japan, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines and Taiwan. The tsunami alert was lifted after two hours.
Journalist Isvara Safitri, who lives in central Manado, recalled how the furniture in her room shook for several seconds.
“It was really strong… I even felt dizzy,” Safitri told the Indonesian BBC.
Even the roads outside the house were shaking, she said, adding that the earthquake “seems to be the strongest” she has experienced in the past six years.
Yayuk Oktiani, who lives in Bitung, a town on the northeastern coast of Sulawesi, said she often feels earthquakes, “but they are never as strong as this one.”
Oktiani was at the market when “everything started shaking.” Several stores experienced power outages and, as the tremors intensified, people fled, she told the BBC.
She went directly to her child’s school, located “very close” to the sea.
“The situation there was chaotic… Teachers immediately told parents to take their children home, even though they had just arrived,” she told the BBC.
In Ternate, resident Budi Nurgianto said the walls of his house vibrated for what seemed like more than a minute. He rushed outside, in a scene of panic.
“There were a lot of people outside… I even saw people leaving their homes without having finished their shower,” he told AFP.
Manado and Bitung are located on the island of Sulawesi, while Ternate is a volcanic island in the North Maluku province.
The epicenter of the earthquake was about halfway between Manado and Ternate.
At least two aftershocks, measuring 5.5 and 5.2, followed the major quake, with authorities warning of more to come.
The national geological agency reported “building damage and injuries” about an hour after the initial quake, but did not provide further details.
Footage from a search and rescue team in Manado shows residents and officials walking through the rubble of a sports complex, some shouting “oh my God”.
Large pieces of furniture were thrown to the ground, with some metal structures deformed.
A patient at Siloam Hospital in Manado recalled the frantic efforts to evacuate staff and patients.
“We were sitting there drinking tea… [Initially we] I didn’t realize it was an earthquake. And then we heard a child shouting: ‘Come down, hurry up,'” said Admini, 69.
Nurses and doctors quickly set up makeshift treatment areas, outside and inside the vehicles.
“Everyone was crowded outside,” Admini said. “Some were in wheelchairs, others were helping each other.”
Additional reporting by Heyder Affan in Jakarta